Friday, December 22, 2017

Charcoal Mittens for you----it's winter here!

This month I really looked forward to the project for Island Batik....Table Scraps. When I saw the Alpine Ice fabric in my box, I knew that would be my winter table topper. The blues and grays are perfect for the winter season that is upon many of us.  I hate putting away my Christmas decorations, so I always leave out all the snowmen to brighten up January.
What about you?


Charcoal Mittens

As you can see, I need your help and advice!  I have been sick with some kind of throat virus, so it has slowed me way down, and I have an un-quilted quilt here.  Plus my brain is in a bit of a fog, so I need some ideas on how to quilt this.  

Here is the basic square that this quilt starts out with.  I found the idea in the 2016 BHG Christmas Quilts and More, and it was made up into a lap quilt.  I want to share the pattern with you, but cannot find an online version to link you to, so I will give you some measurements and let you take it from there.  


Cutting instructions for the 15" square.


I made four of these and placed them together as shown below.  You could also make 3 and make a long table runner.


For the border, I cut (64) 2 1/2" squares, and sewed together in 2 strips of 15 and 2 strips of 17.

I am not sure how to give you a download of the applique pieces here, if you have EQ you will find mittens and snowflake patterns there.  And, maybe other patterns or a childs coloring book would be of help.  I am going to see what I can do to upload the applique pieces this week, or I can email to you if you send me a note.  yellowcatquilts@gmail.com


Wishing you a blessed and peace filled Christmas with those you love.....

Sharon


                  Whoop! Whoop!

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Granny Stitch Triangle shawl

It feels great to be getting some gifts finished and wrapped up!  My mom is 93 years old, and in a nursing home, so I crocheted this warm, comfy shawl for her to throw over her shoulders.



I love this variegated yarn and it did work up fairly quick.  I used the Hobby Lobby "I Love This Yarn!" super soft, with a size I crochet hook.  I did my own thing with the edging....I think I got carried away...but Mom will love it!  Check the tutorial here if  you might want to make one.

Grace and peace....Sharon

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Spread Joy

This is such a neat idea, I have to share it with you....wish I had thought of it, but I did not.  We all know how much everyone enjoys receiving a handmade gift, and this one is super easy and cute.  Check it out on My Girlfriends Quilt Shoppe.

Photo credits My Girlfriends Quilt Shoppe.com


You can download the pattern here and give a special little Christmas pillow and spread some joy!  Who will you make yours for?  

grace and peace....Sharon


Sunday, December 3, 2017

Countdown to Christmas

Moda Bakeshop is sharing a 6" block EVERY DAY until Christmas!  I think we all need another project, right?  Just look how cute this one is!  Cute for a mug rug maybe?  Or put together a few for a gift or table topper? 


"The blocks will all measure 6″ finished and fit in with a seasonal theme. Make a few for a table runner or make them all for a quilt! You can use your favorite 6″ block quilt layout to put them together or stick with us through the month to see some layouts we have designed for all of the blocks. Each block is made with a mix of Red, Green, and White fabrics. This is a great opportunity to use your stash or pick up your favorite Christmas fat quarter bundle."  

Looks fun!  What do you think?????

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Deadlines

Deadlines are looming!  So far I am doing good and have one of the quilts completed....one down and one more to go.  This week I was able to get the quilting done on one and started on another.  December 15 will be here in the blink of an eye...it seems December has a way of flying by.  Remember when we were children and it just drug by? 



What have you been up to this week?  Hope you are getting that list of things you have to do before the end of the month whittled down.

grace and peace...Sharon

Friday, December 1, 2017

31 Day Blog Writing Challenge

Today is the beginning of Cheryl Sleboda at Muppin.com has challenged bloggers to write on their blog every day in December.  I have been thinking that my blog seems a bit neglected at times, so I joined in.  I think I can...even with deadlines, doctor appointments, play practice, and all the busyness of Christmas...I think I can! 


I hope all of you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We drove to Dallas and spent Thanksgiving with my sister and family.  She wanted aprons made for us to wear while cooking and having fun in the kitchen together, so of course I whipped up a few for us to wear.


Gobble til you Wobble!

Now lets see how I do with this challenge!  

grace and peace....Sharon

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Quiltmakers 100 Blocks and Give Aways!

Welcome!  Bella and I are happy you have stopped by today on the third day or the Road Rally.  Hope you are enjoying all the stops you have made so far in the Road Rally....lots of eye candy!   I am so excited to have a block in Volume 16 of the 100 Blocks by Quiltmaker.  This is my first block to be in the 100 Blocks magazine.


Galactic Voyager 

I made a couple of layouts in EQ8 with my block, maybe you will see one you would like to try.

 

I had a bundle of Moda's Cookie exchange in my stash, and decided to use it for this table topper.  



Galactic Voyager is a beginner level paper pieced block.  If you do not like paper piecing, let me give you a few tips.  First I like to make templates that are at least 1/2" larger than the original template.  You can make it out of acrylic or paper.  You do not have to cut accurately around the shape, just get the general idea.  I like using a template because it saves fabric and is more accurate. 





Once I have my fabric  cut, I use a washable glue stick to attach the fabric to the back of the paper.  Your printed side is always facing you so that you know where to stitch.  Hold it up to the light if you are having issues with placement.


Flip it over, and using your Add-a-quarter ruler and a straight edge such as a post card or strip of acrylic, fold the paper over and trim 1/4".




Now you can line up your fabric pieces, unfold the paper and stitch,  Repeat for the other side.
Trim  excess fabric, making sure you have a 1/4 " seam all around.  It's up to you if you want to remove the paper now.  

Another tip for paper piecing is to reduce your stitch to about 1.8...it makes tearing off the paper much easier.

I decided to make a Christmas table topper with my block. If you decide you would like to make this table topper, make 4 Galactic Voyager blocks from the 100 Blocks magazine.  Here are the measurements.
The sashing:
Cut (8) red 1 1/2" strips
Cut (4) white 2 1/2" strips.  sew a red strip to each long edge of the white strip.  
Cut one 4 1/2" square for the center block.
Cut (4) red 1 1/2" squares  for the corners. Draw a line on the diagonal and sew to each corner.  Flip and trim.
The border is a variety of fabric scraps cut into 2 1/2" squares.  Cut 32 total.  Piece two strip with 14 squares and two strips with 16 squares.  



Now on to the Giveaways!

   

Prize 1: Quiltmaker is sponsoring the giveaway of a copy of 100 Blocks Magazine Vol. 16.  This magazine drawing is open to everyone-international included.  The magazine will be shipped directly from Quiltmaker.



Prize 2: I have a give away for you as well!  A copy of 100 Blocks Volume 16 and a bundle of 6 fat eighths of Moda Cookie Exchange and a mug rug made from Cookie Exchange.  

To Enter:

All you have to do is comment, and as a bonus my followers on Instagram, email, or Bloglovin will get an extra entry.  So leave an extra comment to tell me how you follow, ok?
The giveaway will run for 4 days, until 9 pm CST on Friday November 17th.

It's a cold, drizzly day here in Missouri, so stay dry as you continue on your trip!

grace and peace.....Sharon and Bella                           


Linking to:  Midweek Makers   
                 Wednesday Wait Loss  
                 Freemotion by the River
                 Lets BEE Social


CONGRATULATIONS!  Susan Wilson is the winner of Prize #1.  And Linda Douglas is the winner of Prize #2.  Please contact me by email  yellowcatquilts@gmail.com with your mailing information.  Thank you to all of you have stopped by for a visit on the Road Rally....Bella and I enjoyed meeting all of you!


  

Monday, November 13, 2017

100 blocks Road Rally Blog Tour

This year I have been selected to be a part of the blog tour.  There are 51 designers who are a part of the blog tour this year.  It is going to be loads of fun, with prizes and a scavenger hunt.


It starts today!  So grab a coat, your favorite snack and beverage, and come along on the Road Rally!
I will see you on Wednesday right here!  Bella loves company, so please stop by!

grace and peace....Sharon


Friday, November 10, 2017

Golden Afternoon

Exciting news here at Yellow Cat Quilts....I have a quilt published in the January/February 2018 McCall's Quilting magazine!  I used fabric  from the Ann's Arbor collection by Minnick and Simpson for Moda Fabrics, and batting was provided by The Warm Company.  I loved working with the cheerful colors in the fabric. If you make this quilt, please tag me or send me a picture, I would love to see your ideas for fabrics! And the batting was amazing to quilt...I do love it!

Golden Afternoon
I hope you can see yourself snuggled up in this throw quilt...reading a good book or watching a movie.


Photos are courtesy of McCall's Quilting Magazine.

So....what's happening in your sewing room today?  It's rather cold out, I think it is a good day to stay inside and work on another quilt.  I am so blessed to have time and fabric to play with, I hope you are too!  And if you are in a creative funk, you might like to read this blog post......Creativity Exercises

Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon

Linking to:  Midweek Makers 

Needle and Thread Thursday 

Wednesday Wait Loss

Off the Wall Fridays

Thursday, November 2, 2017

In the Pumpkin Patch Giveaway!

Where did October go?  Halloween is always a fun time around here.  Every year my grandsons come up with a costume to have Gramma make....and every year it is a bit tougher!  So....this year my 9 year old wanted a Cuphead costume.  What the heck is Cuphead?  A new, rather popular video game that he loves to play...that's all I know! 


And of course the Headless Horseman made an appearance at the Trunk or Treat.


 

Thank goodness Caleb decided to wear his Plague Dr costume that we made last year!

My newest quilt is now available in my Craftsy shop.  It went to market this past week...without me.
But that is ok, Spring Quilt Market is in Kansas City...yay!  If you would like a chance to win this pattern, please leave a comment here on the blog and follow me on Bloglovin or Instagram.   That's all!.  Giveaway ends at midnight,Saturday, November 4.






Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to:  Freemotion by the River    Midweek Makers   Let's Bee Social 

Monday, October 9, 2017

Fall Harvest....Creative Borders and Bindings

For October, Island Batik challenged the Ambassadors to create something with creative borders and bindings.  It was a great creative challenge for me! I dug through my beautiful Island Batik scraps, got into my EQ7 program, and came up with a new fall wall-hanging.


Fall decorating with Pumpkin Harvest



Fall Harvest


I love using my Split Rec tool by Deb Tucker.  It made this quilt a breeze to make!  In the borders I used my V Block tool, also a ruler by Deb Tucker.  These easy blocks are scattered randomly around the border with some Prairie Points.  Running out of fabric for binding caused me to be thankful for needing a creative binding...so I stitched various lengths together to create a fun scrappy binding!

Being an Island Batik Ambassador is really a fun gig!  We get to play with gorgeous fabrics and meet lots of new friends! 



It's a gorgeous fall day again....my flower beds are calling me to come give them some much needed attention.  But I really want to go start my next Island Batik Challenge!  What should I do?????

grace and peace....Sharon


linking to: Main Crush Monday  Free Motion by the River


Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Frolic.....new pattern for you....and a winner

Our Island Batik blog hop is over, and it was so inspiring to check in with all of my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors.  I hope you all felt the same way! And I do have a winner for the patterns and Abalone fabric....Allison CB has won.  I thank all of you for your comments and follows, it makes my day!

This week I finished a little quilt to add to my existing pattern...Fall Frolic.  I decided to add a baby quilt to the pattern, so now it contains instructions for a baby quilt and a table topper or wall hanging. 


Fall Frolic  
38" x 38"

This is Fall Frolic made from some wonderful fabric from Island Batik...this is from the beautiful line of fabrics by Kathy Engle called Bonsai.  I love sewing with batiks, the thread count is great and the colors are always bright and beautiful.  This fabric is on the shelves in fabric stores now. 


Frolic
38" x 46"

Don't you love how the monsters frolic across this quilt?  I can see so many sweet fabrics in this pattern....would love to see what you come up with! The pattern is available on Craftsy and Etsy....just click on the side bar to find them. This week the pattern is on sale for $6...so better go grab one to make for yourself and your favorite little one.  




Hope all of you are enjoying some beautiful fall weather now.  It's my favorite time of year!  except for the allergies.....

Grace and peace.....Sharon

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Back to School Blog Hop and Giveaways!

I don't know about you....but where did the summer go?  I always loved going back to school, but it seemed like the kids just got out of school one week and were going back the next.  The good thing is that my grand kids like school just like I did.  And Fall is my favorite season of the year!

Island Batik sent me the gorgeous collection of fabric called Abalone.  I was so excited to see it in my box of fabrics as it was my absolute favorite in the 2017 lineup of fabrics.  The pastel hues are so soft and beautiful...perfect for a baby quilt!  I chose a simple pattern to show off the fabric against an off white background.  Time was my enemy, so I had to choose something simple.  I have another quilt designed to use this luscious fabric in soon!

The pattern is called Come Together, and it is free when you sign up for Gudrun's mailing list.  


Come Together

For quilting, I used my quilting foot on my Janome 7700....super easy! To get ready for machine quilting, I like to spray baste with 505.  Usually I will iron the quilt back and front to hold it together better. NO Pinning...yay!



 First I stitched in the ditch down the rows.  Then I went back between the rows with a modern zig-zag.  No measuring or marking required!


Please go visit the other fabulous bloggers, I know you will be inspired!  And of course you want to win a prize, right????

  Island Batik has a wonderful give away here....Giveaway details

Island Batik GIVEAWAY DETAILS
We will be giving away three gorgeous fat quarter bundles at the end of the hop! Three different winners will be randomly selected to win bundles from the Captain’s AnchorBatiks Go Retro, and Abalone collections. Enter by using the Rafflecopter widget . There are many ways to enter!  Follow the link above to enter.
Most of the bloggers will have their own giveaway, so check those out as well. Today another ambassador is showing her Abalone creation at Pamela Quilts.
And last of all, I do have a give away for you as well!  If you will follow me on Instagram @punkydoodle53, your name will be added to the drawing.  I would love it if you would follow me on Bloglovin' too! I will draw a winner and you will receive a digital pattern (PDF) of my quilt, Carnival....and one other of your choice.  Also, I would love to send you some fat-eighths of Island Batik's Abalone collection.  

Carnival

Have a great week and I hope you are able to enjoy some quilting time!
grace and peace....Sharon

Linking up to: Midweek Makers   Freemotion on the River  


Thursday, September 7, 2017

Back to School!




As you can see, it's back to school time here! My awesome grandsons started back to school
 and we went to Alaska!  So not much sewing has been done lately!  The trip was awesome, and I am resting this week, and getting ready to start quilting on my quilt that I made for the Island Batik Back to School Hop.  It has started, and it is not too late for you to join in.  Please consider visiting all the wonderful blogs to see what new fabrics will be coming to a quilt shop near you this month! And there are prizes! 

Blocks of beautiful Abalone fabric....



Bella has had to be content 
with just chewing on a piece of fabric while I was gone...poor baby! 
 I know she will be happy with me back in the sewing room today!




Look what I found in The Quilted Raven in Anchorage!
Island Batiks!



Please join in on the blog hop, there are some fabulous quilts to view, prizes to win and new fabrics on display...don't miss it!


WEEK 1

Tuesday, September 5 – Country Dozen
Cheryl Lynch Quilts • Inspired Layers
Wednesday, September 6 – Bonsai
Little Bunny Quilts
Thursday, September 7 – Sakura
Masterpiece Quilting

WEEK 2

Monday, September 11 – Fresh Pick’ins
KISSed Quilts
Tuesday, September 12 – Lotus Blooms
Kathys Kwilts and More
Thursday, September 14 – Rise & Shine
Den Syende Himmel • Sally’s Quilting Corner
Friday, September 15 – Diner Days
Ark Angel Creations • The Quilt Rambler

WEEK 3

Monday, September 18 – Seas the Day
KISSed Quilts • Whispers of Yore
Tuesday, September 19 – Vineyard
The Inquiring Quilter - Inchworm Fabrics
Wednesday, September 20 – Abalone
PamelaQuilts • Yellow Cat Quilts....Here is my day!
Friday, September 22 – Captain’s Anchor
Purrfect Spots Designs • Beaquilter

WEEK 4

Tuesday, September 26 – Lobster Bake
Seams to be Sew
Wednesday, September 27 – Solstice
Bejeweled Quilts • heARTs Creations
Thursday, September 28 – Sour Apple
Seams Like a Dream • Kauffman Designs
Friday, September 29 – Zen
Lizard Creek Quilting • Quilt’n Party


I won't bore you with lots of pictures...but this is so beautiful!  
Praying for the people that are being affected by all the flooding and fires in our country.